…In 2002, I became a journalist writing for reformist publications, but I was always aware that my hair was held hostage by the Islamic Republic. One day, wearing my hijab while in conversation with two members of Iran’s parliament, I was approached by a conservative lawmaker who immediately warned, “First, cover your hair or I’m going to punch you.” A few wisps had flown loose. In 2009, I had to flee my homeland to avoid being arrested amid political tensions. Five years later, I began the online campaign “My Stealthy Freedom” from London and then New York, urging Iranian women to post images on my Facebook page of themselves removing their hijabs. READ MORE SUBSCRIPTION CONTENT